COMDEX is one of the top conferences for IT professionals. The event will deal with the future direction of the industry, key advances and new innovations. This year

Supported by the Writers Guild of America, west, Scriptapalooza TV Television Writing Competition is dedicated to helping emerging writers get their feet in the door. It accepts one-hour Spec Scripts, half-hour Spec Scripts and Original Pilots. The winners in each category will be considered by Scriptapalooza's outstanding list of participants. Visit www.scriptapaloozaTV.com for details or call (323) 654-5809.

Starting at 7:00 pm, San Francisco State will be hosting a Don Thomas tribute featuring a screening of his award winning films, speakers and Thomas' family will present the new Gordon Thomas Scholarship to junior and senior animation students at SF State. This event is free and open to the public with a reception to follow. Tax deductible donations to the Gordon Thomas Scholarship may be sent to: SFSU Foundation, c/o Jennifer Severin, San Francisco State University, Office of Development, 1600 Holloway Ave. San Francisco, CA 94132. Please make the check payable to SFSU Foundation (Gordon Thomas Scholarship). A tax receipt will be mailed to you from that office.

Hosted by Alias, SIGGRAPH LA will be holding a

StoryBoard Pitch Night will feature the David Williams, whose projects include storyboards and key animation on THE WILD THORNBERRIES MOVIE and RUGRATS GO WILD, and board artist on LAND BEFORE TIME 11. This month's pitch list includes Ed Monegan, Christa Percival, Ramael Slater, Tyree Dillihay and Linda Lee. The event will run from 7:00 to 10:00 pm at The American Animation Institute -- 4729 Lankershim Blvd., N. Hollywood. For more information, contact Christa Percival at tel: (323) 664-2711; or e-mail: frankenchrista@earthlink.net.

The Henry Cogswell College School of Digital Arts will be holding its 7th Annual Digital Arts Symposium at The Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Ave., from 8:00 to 10:00 pm, and Saturday, November 22, from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon. This year

The 2nd Annual Art Festival will have two workshops called "New Techniques for All in the Arts" and "Presentation Techniques". The Art Festival includes All in The Arts -- singers, writers, poets, painters, photographers, illustrators, dancers, musicians, sculptors, storytellers, mimes, actors, actresses, dancers, clowns, etc. are invited to attend and display and perform your works. The most spectacular highlight of this Art Festival is that we will have an art agent there to sign you up. For more information contact Help 2 Succeed, 1115 N. Scottsdale Road Suite #104, Tempe, Arizona 85281, or e-mail: help2succeed@consultant.com.

The California State University, Fullerton chapter of The Pencil Mileage Club is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of drawing and painting with an emphasis on applications to the commercial arts of film and print, and on November 22, 2003, the PMC will present

Glenn Vilppu's Basic Figure Drawing: Starts Nov. 23 03 Sunday 11AM-2:30PM 6 sessions, Tuition $200.00, Registration Fee $50.00 Course Objective & Description This course focuses on basic figure drawing and figure construction. Through demonstrations, and one on one instruction. Drawing instruction will emphasize step-by-step drawing procedures, analyzing the form, anatomical structure by. This class has two primary objectives. The first is to develop a solid understanding of the tools and logic used in creating a form. This includes understanding the fundamental procedures that under line the use of these tools. The second objective is to develop a basic understanding of the construction and anatomy of the figure. Glenn is an internationally recognized drawing instructor, lecturer, and fine artist who has informed and educated a generation of artists in Los Angeles. He has fourteen one man shows and is an instructor at the Disney and Warner Brothers feature animation programs, as well as the American Animation Institute, UCLA, Dreamworks, and Rhythm and Hues.

Scr(i)pt magazine's Open Door Screenwriting Contest is sponsored by the production house Benderspink (AMERICAN PIE, CATS & DOGS). The contest features a grand prize of $3,000. The top three scripts will be read by Benderspink. Software and prizes supplied by Final Draft, InkTip, the Writers Store and Script P.I.M.P.'s Writer's Database. Previous winner Brian Winfrey sold his script to Disney for mid-six figures. The entry fee is $45. For more information visit http://www.scriptmag.com/pages/contest.shtml.